Stock status
Stock status
Status report - Whales (from the Marine Research institute)
In 1986, the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) resolution on a temporary closure of commercial whaling came into effect. In 2006, Iceland resumed commercial whaling on fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and common minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata).
The minke whale stock around Iceland is considered to be close to pre-exploitation abundance, and historic catches are not thought to have affected the stock appreciably.
An aerial survey conducted in coastal Icelandic waters in 2007 yielded lower abundance estimates than previous surveys, or 10.700 and 15.100, depending on the method of analysis. A survey conducted in Faxaflói bay in 2008 showed much higher densities, indicating that the unusually low densities in 2007 were due to a temporary shift in distribution within the population area. Based on a new stock assessments conducted by the Scientific Committees of NAMMCO and the IWC, the MRI recommends that annual catches of common minke whales from the Central North Atlantic stock do not exceed 216 animals in the Icelandic continental shelf area and 121 animals in the CM area. This advice applies for the calendar years 2011 and 2012.
From the 1995 sightings survey, the number of fin whales in the East-Greenland, Iceland, and Jan Mayen stock area (EGI stock area) was estimated as 18.900 animals. Results from a survey conducted in 2001 showed an increase in abundance in comparable areas, with a total population size of around 24.000 fin whales. The abundance estimate from the 2007 survey is not significantly different from the 2001 estimate. On the basis of a recent assessment conducted within the Scientific Committees of the IWC and NAMMCO, the MRI recommends annual catches of up to 154 fin whales as sustainable and precautionary for the calendar years 2011-2012.
Status report - Seals (from the Marine Research institute)
In 2009, the reported seal catch and by-catch in Iceland was 71 grey seals (Halichoerus grypus), 154 harbour seals (Phoca vitulina), 57 harp seals (Phoca groenlandica), one bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) and 35 seals of unknown species. Grey seal surveys were conducted in 2008 and 2009 from which 6.100 (95% CL: 4 600–7 600) animals were estimated along the Icelandic coast. The stock was estimated at 12 000 animals in 1990. According to a survey conducted in 2008 and 2009, the stock of harbour seals was in the region of 6.000 animals. After continuous decline from 1990–2002 the stock seems to have started to increase again.
References and further information
This text is from an annual Stock Status Report from the Marine Research Institute. The report is in Icelandic but with an English abstract and table and figure texts.
